


Rules are Made to Be Broken

by leela_cat (Leela)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 16:50:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1109220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leela/pseuds/leela_cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's week is off to a rocky start: Teddy's being bullied by bureaucratic assholes at primary school, he missed the first meeting of a club he's sponsoring at Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy can't seem to decide whether to yell at him or flirt with him. And then there are the rules...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules are Made to Be Broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nherizu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nherizu/gifts).



> **Warnings:** Bullying, mild mention of child abuse (mother slapping a child)  
>  **Content/Enticements:** Flangst, Kissing, EWE, Hogwarts Professors  
>  **Author's Notes:** Dear nherizu, I hope this story touches on those things that you love about Harry and Draco, and that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Many thanks to my beta (she knows who she is).

Alastair Entwhistle, the deputy headmaster of Hogsmeade Primary, stared down his short, fat nose at Harry. He seemed to think he was intimidating, but Harry just found him annoying. Or he would have if Teddy wasn't so clearly frightened by the man and burying his face in Harry's jumper just to avoid looking at him. Teddy's hair was a pink so pale that it worried Harry.

"It's quite simple, Mr Potter," Entwhistle said. "Either Master Lupin dresses in the appropriate school uniform or he has to leave our school." 

"Teddy's wearing an approved school uniform," Harry said, dropping his hand down to cup the back of Teddy's head and stroke his hair, trying to reassure him. 

" _Appropriate_?" Entwhistle's eyes bulged behind his glasses and the red veins in his cheeks became more prominent as he gestured at Teddy. "I hardly consider that to be appropriate for a boy of his age." 

"Not a boy," Teddy mumbled and then pressed his face back into Harry's jumper.

Entwhistle ignored him and responded to Harry. "Master Lupin was enrolled as a male student and is expected to deport himself as such if he wishes to remain a student here."

 _Self-righteous prig_ , Harry thought. _I'd like to use my wand to deport you..._ Taking a deep breath, Harry ruffled Teddy's hair and reminded himself that he was trying to fix this mess, not make it worse. "The only reason Teddy was enrolled that way is that your forms don't have an option for metamorphmagus. Headmaster Slocum assured me that it wouldn't be a problem."

"Headmaster Slocum is no longer with us." Entwhistle's mouth twisted into a smug expression. "Until his replacement is identified, I'm acting in his stead. I assure you that my full attention is on educating our children, keeping them safe, forming them into good and upstanding citizens of our Wizarding World."

Utterly disgusted, Harry said, "Obeying the rules, you mean?"

"The rules exist for a reason."

Too aware of Teddy's presence, Harry had to bite his lip to hold in the words that wanted to spill out. Words he'd never allowed himself to say out loud. Words that questioned how the hell these people thought he'd saved their world. It sure as shit wasn't by obeying the rules. Instead, he reached down and picked Teddy up.

Once Teddy was situated on his hip, a little heavier than he'd been before school when his body had been more girl than boy, Harry turned back to Entwhistle. Something in his face must have alarmed him, because Entwhistle took a step back, putting his desk between them.

"If that's all, Mr Potter." Entwhistle sat down and picked up a sheaf of parchment. "I do have work to do." The implication, clear as day, was that he didn't consider Teddy's issues to be important.

"We're done," Harry said. Then, catching Entwhistle's gaze and holding it, trying to put every ounce of power he had into the words, he added, "For today."

Entwhistle averted his eyes immediately, and he slammed the sheaf of parchment down onto his desk, but not fast enough to hide the way his hands were trembling.

 _Pompous arse_ , Harry thought. Then, with one hand on Teddy's back, he walked out the door and into the insanity of students and parents that marked the end of the school day at Hogsmeade Primary.

~*~

The walk from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts was usually an exercise in trying Harry's patience. That day, though, Harry only wished it were. Instead of running around, pointing out everything that Harry just had to see right now, or claiming that he was a big kid and could do it himself, Teddy clung to him.

"Don't wanna," was Teddy's response to Harry's attempt to put him down, and then he tightened his arms and legs around Harry.

"All right," Harry said, reaching up to loosen Teddy's chokehold on his neck. "I'll carry you." 

When they were passing the Shrieking Shack, Teddy muttered something wetly into Harry's neck. 

"What was that?"

Teddy tugged on the neck of Harry's jumper. "I don't wanna go to school anymore."

Anger, sorrow, and old memories flared up in Harry. For a second, he wanted to Apparate away and take Teddy somewhere else, anywhere else, keep him safe and away from hidebound idiots like Entwhistle. But that really wasn't an option. So he asked, "What about your friends? Wouldn't you miss them?"

"Oh. Yeah. But Peter and Elly could come play with me at home, right?"

"They can come play with you at home now, even if you're at school."

Teddy let out a huge sigh, right against Harry's neck, and Harry couldn't help but hug him. "But Entwhistle is a grumpyguts, and he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you." Harry bit his lip as soon as the words were out because he wasn't altogether sure that was true. Then, because he couldn't leave it at that, he said, "We'll fix it. I promise. Mr Entwhistle and his rules are wrong about your uniform, and we'll prove it to him."

And then, in the quiet that followed, he tried to work out how he was going to manage it. There weren't that many Wizarding primary schools in Britain, and Teddy couldn't go to a Muggle school. Not when his body shifted uncontrollably from boy to girl and occasionally, like now, something in between.

By the time they'd reached the entrance to Hogwarts, Harry still hadn't worked out what he was going to do except call Hermione and see if she had any ideas. He really wished that Andromeda were home, because she'd know what to do. He wasn't going to begrudge her the year away, travelling the world with Narcissa, though. Anything that got her out of the house was a good thing.

He pushed open the doors and almost walked into Malfoy, who was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest and his wand in his hand.

"Well, here he is, Harry bloody Potter," Malfoy said. "Gadding in over an hour after he was supposed to be here, without a care, expecting the rest of the world to hold its breath and wait on his pleasure."

Teddy curled into Harry, whispering, "Draco's mad too."

"Not at you," Harry murmured to Teddy. Then, raising his head and looking at Malfoy, Harry said, "Not now." 

Malfoy's eyes narrowed into a sneering glare that would have done Snape proud. "Why? Because it doesn't suit the great Saviour?"

The term got under Harry's skin, the way it always did, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. "Because I asked you, all right?"

"And everyone should just bow down and do what you ask."

"Only in your imagination."

"Hardly." 

The expression on Malfoy's face was so much like Entwhistle's that Harry would have happily reached out and strangled the git. Before he could, a group of second year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws came clattering down the stairs and ran into the Great Hall with a couple of them shouting greetings on their way past.

When they were out of earshot, Malfoy turned on Harry. "Where were you?"

More interested in getting Teddy back to their quarters and out of the damned school uniform then getting into another argument, Harry said, "None of your business," and attempted to walk past Malfoy. 

Malfoy didn't let him. "Oh, it's my business all right. When you're too busy gallivanting around Hogsmeade to bother with the first meeting of _your_ club. The club that you forced down everybody's throat. The club that I was strong-armed into co-sponsoring with you."

Teddy whimpered, and Harry winced. He'd forgotten all about the Muggleborn Wizardblood Alliance. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'll make it up to you next time."

"Salazar's fangs, somebody stop the presses. Harry Potter apologised."

None of the words that tumbled through Harry's mind were appropriate, not to be said in front of Teddy, and certainly not to be said by one professor to another. He shrugged Malfoy's hand off his arm. "Just stop, okay? I said I'm sorry, and I won't do it again. Now let me go so I can get Teddy ready for dinner."

Malfoy's gaze jerked away from Harry to Teddy, and he stepped back. If Harry hadn't known better, he would have sworn that Malfoy hadn't even realised Teddy was there. That didn't make any sense though, so Harry took advantage of his distraction to head for the stairs. 

"In case you were worried," Malfoy called after Harry, "which you clearly aren't, the first meeting went fine. Dahlia Greengrass stepped up and is likely to be the first president, with Toby Mainwaring as her vice-president. They're going to do elections at next week's meeting. If your busy schedule allows you to be there."

Harry paused with his foot on the second stair. No matter how much it hurt to admit it, he did appreciate Malfoy handling the meeting. So he gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, Malfoy. I'll be there."

He was pretty sure he imagined Malfoy's swift intake of breath, but he took the stairs two at a time and didn't let himself glance back to check.

~*~

"Am I bad?" Teddy asked at dinner, barely swallowing his mouthful of shepherd's pie first.

Harry did his best to smooth the frown off his face before replying. "Why do you think that?" 

"'Cause I can't stay a boy, like I'm s'posed to."

Giving up silent thanks that he'd decided to have dinner in his quarters that evening, Harry put his napkin down next to his plate and pushed his chair back. "Come here," he said, and when Teddy had scrambled into his lap, he hugged him tightly.

"You're exactly who you should be," he told Teddy. "You're just like your mum, and she saved my life. Lots of lives, actually."

"But I make everybody mad at you."

"Everybody gets mad at me. It's not your fault. I'm just not very good at doing as I'm told."

"You break rules too?" Teddy's hair seemed to flutter, and turquoise started to seep into the pale pink.

There was a slippery chasm underneath Teddy's question, and Harry paused just before he fell right into it. He brushed the hair out of Teddy's eyes, thinking hard, before saying, "Sometimes, when the rules are very wrong. But your grandma says that it's better to change them. That way no one else gets hurt by a bad rule."

"Grandma's very smart," Teddy said, his voice so serious that it made Harry smile.

"She is."

"I miss her." Teddy slid down off Harry's knee and went back to his own seat. He piled his fork perilously high with mashed potatoes. It wobbled as he held it over his plate. "She said she'd be back for my birthday, right?"

"Probably with lots of presents." Harry found a smile for Teddy. "Now finish your dinner or we won't make it to the Quidditch pitch on time."

"Yes!" Teddy bounced in his chair, spilling some of the mashed potato off his fork and onto his plate. "And we're going to yell for HuffPuff today, right? Because Mummy was a HuffPuff and Draco says they need all the help they can get. Like this." He closed his eyes, and his hair became a spiky mix of yellow and black.

Harry rolled his eyes. "They're not that bad. I think the Slytherins need more help this year."

"That's not what Draco says."

"And Draco's right about everything?"

Giggling, Teddy said, "No," and then he launched into a description of the last time Draco had been wrong. 

Other than occasionally encouraging him to eat more, Harry let Teddy talk. And talk and talk and talk, all the way through dinner, getting dressed, and even the Quidditch match. He returned the occasional glare from Pomona with a smile, but it was Teddy's boundless enthusiasm for cheering for Hufflepuff that won her over. By the time the game was over — Hufflepuff having narrowly defeated Slytherin 200 to 190 — she had given Teddy her black and yellow scarf. He wore it all the way from the pitch back to the castle even though the ends dragged along the ground as he walked.

Just outside the castle, Teddy broke away from Harry, letting go of his hand and running over to Malfoy. "Did you see Draco?" Teddy yelled. "HuffPuff won! Just like I told you!"

"Teddy!" Harry rushed after him, his hand on his wand and a _Petrificus_ on the tip of his tongue, because damn it, Malfoy was capable of shredding a small boy to bits with that tongue. 

To his surprise, when he caught up with Teddy, Malfoy was crouched down in front of him, tousling his hair. "I saw," Malfoy said. His smile was thin and decidedly forced, but it was enough for Harry to release his wand and breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't want to hex Malfoy in front of the students, but Teddy had done enough crying for one day.

"Potter." Malfoy acknowledged him with a sharp nod and then returned his attention to Teddy, who was pulling on Malfoy's scarf.

"I'm going to play Quidditch when I'm big enough," Teddy said. "And I'm going to play for HuffPuff and we're going to win all the games and the cup and everything." 

One of Malfoy's eyebrows winged upward. "What if you get sorted into Slytherin though?"

"Then Slyth'rin will win all the games, silly." Teddy gave Malfoy's scarf another tug, and it slid off Malfoy's neck and onto the ground. 

Harry slipped his hand back into his pocket, reaching for his wand, but Malfoy didn't so much as snarl at Teddy. Instead he picked up his green and silver scarf and wound it around Teddy's neck, twining it with the Hufflepuff scarf.

"Then you better have this," Malfoy said, "just in case."

Something caught in in Harry's chest as Teddy flung himself into Malfoy's arms and gave him a smacking kiss to the cheek. "Thank you, Draco," he said, and then ran over to Harry to show him his new gift.

By the time Harry looked up, planning to offer his own thanks, Malfoy was nowhere in sight. So he reached for Teddy and swung him up and onto his shoulders. Teddy giggled through another big yawn and grabbed onto Harry's forehead for balance. 

"Giddyup." Teddy kicked his heels into Harry's sides. "Like a good Hippogriff."

Holding onto Teddy's leg with one hand, Harry stretched the other arm out and flapped it. Then, making zooming noises, he ran towards the castle. Teddy laughed the whole way.

~*~

Three bedtime stories, a glass of water, and two trips to the bathroom later, Teddy was sound asleep in his bed and Harry was taking a mug of tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits into the sitting room. A quick glance at the glowing blue eyes of the white owl statue on his mantel reassured him that the monitoring spell was activated on Teddy's room. He put the mug and plate down on the hearth.

The childproof spell on the Floo powder bowl made his fingers tingle before it released them and let him get some powder. A couple of minutes later, Hermione was smiling at him through the flames. 

"Hullo, Harry. I wasn't expecting to hear from you before Sunday dinner at the Burrow."

Harry scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, I need some advice."

"Of course you do." Her _what else is new_ face made Harry smile.

"It's about Teddy," he said.

She straightened up, became more serious. "What happened?"

"Slocum's gone," Harry said, "and he's been replaced with a guy who thinks the rules justify the means. He says that just because Andie ticked the box for male when she enrolled Teddy at school that Teddy has to wear a boy's uniform all the time. He's threatening to expel Teddy for wearing a girl's uniform."

"Bastard." The ferocity of Hermione's expression reminded Harry of one too many nights spent chasing after Death Eaters and sent a cold shiver down his spine. 

"I mean, I know we all talk about him like he's a boy," Harry said, "but there's always a chance that he won't be when he grows up. And he likes wearing skirts and swishing them around, especially when he's a girl. He's so happy, Hermione. I won't let that git's bloody rules ruin it for him."

"Neither of us will." Her eyes brightened as she thought. "There have to be laws about the treatment of metamorphmagi. It's a very rare condition, but according to _Wizards Through the Ages_ , most metamorphmagi are purebloods. And as we both know well, purebloods would never allow a petty bureaucrat to mistreat their children."

"No, they save that for themselves," Harry muttered.

Hermione's laughter sent sparks spiralling up into the chimney, and Harry couldn't help but join her. 

They talked about other things for a while: her annoyance at how hard some Ministry employees fought change, and his frustrations with marking essays and following the standard curriculum. Then Hermione asked, "How're things with Malfoy?"

Harry's mood sank like a stone. He made a face. "I haven't the foggiest idea. He's so damn confusing. First he yells at me in the entrance hall, right in front of Teddy, where all of the students can see. All because Entwhistle made me late and I missed the MWA meeting."

"Oh Harry."

"It wasn't my fault, all right. Walking out would've just made things worse for Teddy." Harry sighed. "That's not the worst of it, though. After everything, after almost making Teddy cry when we got back, he gave Teddy his Slytherin scarf and didn't say a word about Teddy supporting Hufflepuff. Who'd just beat Slytherin."

Hermione made a choking noise, and Harry glared at her. 

"You're making fun of me."

"Of course I am. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

"A good one?"

This time Hermione laughed out loud. "Oh, I do love you, Harry."

He sniffed and tried to pretend to be hurt but couldn't hold back a grin. "Love you, too," he said. "And Ron as well."

"I'll let him know." She smiled at him, and then after a moment, said, "And I'll let you know as soon as I find something to help Teddy."

"Thanks," Harry said. "Bye."

As the green faded away from the flames, Harry picked up a half-melted biscuit and licked the rest of the chocolate off. He really didn't know what to make of Malfoy. Sometimes he thought they were starting to become friends, sometimes he wondered if Malfoy was flirting with him, and the rest of the time, he was absolutely sure Malfoy was laughing at him — just waiting for Harry to let his guard down so he could pull the rug out from under him.

Harry just didn't get him at all.

~*~

The next day, Teddy was fully a boy when he woke up. He jumped onto Harry's bed, before the alarm spell went off, settled onto Harry's bum, and bounced.

Air whuffed out of Harry's lungs, and he groaned a complaint. "Teddy, don't."

"But it's time to wake up." Teddy bounced again. "And I need my boy clothes today, Uncle Harry." 

"Do you now?" Harry grinned as he rolled over, dropping Teddy onto the other side of the bed. "Maybe the ticklemonster has something to say about that?"

Teddy laughed, wriggled, and kicked as Harry pretended to tickle him through his pyjama top. He gasped out, "Nooooo. Not the ticklemonster."

"No?" Harry pulled his hands back.

"No, Uncle Harry. I have to get ready for school." 

"You're sure?"

Teddy nodded his head energetically. "And I'm putting on my scarves."

"Okay then. School it is." Harry reached over and tapped a pattern on his wand then said, " _Finite_." As he watched Teddy scamper out of the bedroom, his hair a deep blue, Harry breathed a sigh of relief

With an early class that morning, Harry Apparated Teddy to school instead of walking him. Entwhistle gave Teddy a once-over as he ran past him and into his classroom. 

"Morning, Mr Potter," Entwhistle said.

"Entwhistle," Harry replied, and then Disapparated before he gave in to the temptation to wipe the smug smile off Entwhistle's face with one of the hexes Hermione had taught him during the war. Even he knew that would only make things worse.

The rest of the day crawled past. Harry's second class — first year Slytherins and Gryffindors — was so close to out of control that he set them to transfiguring a match to a needle instead of the lesson on the transformation formula that he'd originally planned. He didn't think any of them would have had the patience for that. 

His last class ended too early for him to go to Hogsmeade, so he headed for the staff room. He'd just settled into the comfiest chair by the fire with a mug of coffee and a stack of parchments to mark when Malfoy came into the room. He fussed around, making himself a coffee, and then sat down across from Harry. 

Malfoy didn't say anything. He leaned forward, mug cradled between his hands, and stared at the flames. He looked far more dishevelled than could possibly be justified by a History class. 

Eventually, unable to stand the quiet, or the way that Malfoy's fingers drew his attention, any longer, Harry said, "You look like you've gone two rounds with Hagrid's flobberworms."

Malfoy raised his head slowly, carefully, as if it hurt. "Annabel Spinnet didn't understand why the Werewolf Code of Conduct was a failure." His voice rose as he mimicked her. "But why did it fail, Professor Malfoy? It's in their own best interests. Don't werewolves want to protect people?"

"She's never met a single topic she couldn't why to death." Harry pulled his wand and levitated the tin of biscuits over, setting it to hover between them.

"Honestly, I felt like conjuring up Greyback just to shut her up." 

"I'd pay to see that."

Reaching out, Malfoy snagged a plain digestive from the tin. He dipped it into his coffee and then nibbled on the coffee-soaked part. "I'd do it in a heartbeat, if I didn't think the Board would use it to fire me. They weren't that happy about Minerva hiring me in the first place."

"Nah," Harry said. "It was a whole lot of noise. They were never going to turn you down. Not enough purebloods teaching at Hogwarts these days." He sucked meditatively on a chocolate finger. A choking noise drew his attention back to Malfoy, who was once again looking anywhere but at Harry. "You all right?"

"Fine," Malfoy said, waving his biscuit. "Just went down the wrong way." 

Harry finished up his own and then licked the remaining chocolate off his fingertips. 

The strangest of expressions on his face, Malfoy snapped, "The least you could do is wipe your fingers on a napkin. Or use a proper spell. One would think you were raised by—" He cut himself off, shoved himself up and out of his chair, and stalked over to the coffee machine behind Harry.

"By what?" Harry got up and went after him. "Go on, Malfoy. Say it. Raised by Muggles, right? The lowest of the low."

"Why should I bother? When you can just say it for me."

Stepping closer, forcing Malfoy to step back until he was pressed up against the counter, almost knocking over the milk jug, Harry said, "God, you're so damn predictable, aren't you? It always comes back to birth and blood."

Malfoy put a hand to Harry's shoulder and tried to shove him away. "About family, Potter. Not birth. Not blood. _Family_. Not that you'd know anything about that."

Jabbing a finger at Malfoy's chest, Harry snarled, "You fucking wanker. You know abso-fucking-lutely nothing. Just because my family didn't fawn all over me and treat me like the second coming. I ought to give you a piece of my—" His Uncle Vernon sounded in his head, saying the exact same words, and Harry felt sick. 

He turned away so abruptly that he lost his balance and stumbled into the back of the chair he'd been sitting in. Malfoy was right there, catching him and preventing him from falling down. 

"Potter?" Malfoy looked worried. "I didn't mean..."

Harry took a deep breath. "Yeah, me either."

They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything for a few seconds, until Harry's watch chimed a warning. He glanced down at it and panicked. There wasn't even enough time left to change, "I've got to go. Have to get Teddy from school."

Taking off his teaching robes, Harry hung them on one of the hooks by the door. He was almost out of the room when Malfoy asked, "Can I come with you?"

"What?"

"Walk with you. To Hogsmeade."

"I don't..." Harry shrugged, completely confused about why he wanted to do this, but unable to stop himself from saying, "Yeah, all right."

The smile on Malfoy's face almost had Harry stumbling again, this time over thin air.

~*~

Harry walked rapidly towards Hogsmeade, all too aware of Malfoy walking at his side, of the way Malfoy's robes flapped around his shins and drew attention to the length of his legs. It really was unfair, Harry thought, and increased his speed. Malfoy lengthened his strides, keeping up without any sign of effort.

As they neared the Whomping Willow, not wanting to be sweaty and out of breath when he arrived at Hogsmeade Primary, Harry slowed down again. 

Malfoy was a few feet ahead before he noticed and stopped to wait for Harry. "Do you do this every day? Walk to Hogsmeade, that is."

Kicking at a pinecone, Harry sent it flying past Malfoy into the woods. When Malfoy didn't so much as flinch, Harry frowned at him. If he didn't know better, he'd think Malfoy trusted him. Rather than try to work that out, he said, "As often as I can. The fresh air's good after a day spent cooped up inside the castle, and I love spending the time with Teddy. I think he likes it, too. Living at Hogwarts, we don't always get that much time alone together."

They started walking again. Malfoy was toying with the ends of his silk scarf, a nervous gesture that had Harry frowning again. 

"Is Ted..." Malfoy cleared his throat. "I mean, Teddy. Is he happy?"

"What do you care?" The question came out sounding nastier than Harry had intended, but he left it like that.

"He's family."

"Not according to your father."

"I've learned that my father was wrong about a lot of things."

"Can't argue with that."

Pressing a hand against his forehead, Malfoy faked a swoon. "Harry Potter's found something he agrees with me about. I might not survive the shock of it."

"Oh, bugger off," Harry said, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. 

After a few more paces, Malfoy said, "I'm serious, Potter."

"He misses Andie, and the parents he never knew." Harry kicked another pinecone, this time more viciously. "And there's nothing I can do about that except be there for him."

Malfoy aimed his wand at a pinecone, muttered a spell, and shot it off into the trees. "And everything else?"

"Like what?"

"How should I know? It's not like you let me see him ever."

Harry stopped and turned on Malfoy. "He's got enough problems without having you throw them in his face every chance."

"I wouldn't."

"Wouldn't you?"

"No!" A blast of red from Malfoy's wand shattered a stone into dust. "He's family, Potter, and a metamorphmagus to boot. Why would I hurt him?" 

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me? After Teddy's gone to bed." 

They were a little early, but the last thing Harry wanted was to wait around with only Malfoy for company. Merlin knew what he'd come up with next. So he walked up to the fence around the primary school and pressed his palm against the wood. The gates swung open, and the noise of children laughing and yelling filled the air. 

Harry blinked, frozen to the spot by what he was seeing: Teddy, hair a dull brown, kneeling on the ground with a bigger boy looming over him, the ends of Teddy's scarves wrapped around his fist. Other kids surrounded them in a loose circle, and Entwhistle stood on the steps, paying absolutely no attention to what was going on.

"You're nothing but a big fat baby," the bully sneered, "and we're not ever gonna let you play on our team. You have to be a _real boy_ to do that." 

"Teddy!" Harry aimed his wand at the bully. "Leave him alone."

Malfoy stepped between them. "I don't think so," he hissed. Then, before Harry could cast a hex, Malfoy said, "Leave my cousin alone, or I'll have your parents up before the Wizengamot."

The bully let go of the scarves, and Teddy fell to the ground. Harry dashed over and picked him up, resting him on his hip. 

"Go ahead," the bully said to Malfoy. "My daddy'll shatter you." 

Malfoy's chuckle was low and dark, and it caught somewhere deep in Harry's chest. "Oh, my dear boy, your daddy won't do anything of the sort. The Malfoy name may not be good for much anymore, but we still have more influence than a Summerby. Especially when the complaint is about someone abusing a metamorphmagus, one who is descended from purebloods and war heroes no less."

"Now, Mr Malfoy." Entwhistle bustled down the steps. "I'm sure this little misunderstanding can be cleared up in no time."

"Misunderstanding?" Malfoy swung on Entwhistle, who cringed.

Harry went over to stand beside Malfoy. "Threatening to expel Teddy for not wearing a boy's uniform when he's in a female cycle is one thing but this—"

"You did what?" Malfoy's voice rose, cutting Harry off. "Do you have any idea..." He shook his head. "Of course, you do." Turning to Harry, he said. "Contact Granger. Tell her to drop whatever she's doing and get here now. She needs to check book 5, chapter 42, section 5,009 of the Pureblood Act of 1492. She'll understand what to do as soon as she's read it."

"Malfoy, I..."

"Patronus, Potter. Tout de suite." He spun around on one heel, scanning the small crowd of parents, some of whom were heading for the gates with their children in tow. "You!" Malfoy called out. "Amelinda Summerby."

A woman with long brown hair paused and raised an eyebrow at him. "Draco Malfoy," she said in a clear, high voice. 

"Your son is a bully," Malfoy said.

Her raised eyebrow clearly asked, _Your point_. 

"He picked on my cousin, for being a metamorphmagus."

"And that matters?" Harry was incredulous.

"Chester's mean," Teddy said. "I don't like him."

"Everything matters, Potter. To one degree or another." Malfoy spared Teddy a tight-lipped smile, and stroked the back of his head. "Now send that Patronus before I'm forced to summon Granger myself."

Harry could hardly drag his eyes away from Malfoy, and the way he was handling everyone, long enough to cast the spell, but soon enough, Prongs was standing in front of him. 

"Book 5," Malfoy reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Five, forty-two, five thousand and nine. Pureblood from 1492." After a brief bow, and a lick to the back of Teddy's hand that drew a wan smile from him, Prongs took off. 

When he returned his attention to the school playground, Entwhistle and the Summerbys were huddled together, and Malfoy was talking to some of the other parents. They looked unhappy, but it was clearly with Entwhistle not Teddy.

"I'm sorry." Harry glanced down to see a little girl touching Teddy's leg. "I didn't know how to stop him. Chester's too big."

At Teddy's wriggle, Harry let him down, but he kept a hand on Teddy's shoulder.

"It's okay," Teddy said.

She looked over her shoulder at a man who was clearly her father and the cluster of kids and parents around him. "You could play with us on Monday," she offered. "We can take care of each other."

"Okay." And, as if a spell had been broken, Teddy beamed at her as she skipped away. "That's Elly," he told Harry. "She's my friend."

Harry knelt down and hugged him. "It's going to be all right."

"Just like you promised," Teddy said, hugging him back.

It wasn't really like Harry had promised. Malfoy had been the hero this time, which stung more deeply than Harry had expected. But he told himself he was good with it, even with Teddy staring at Malfoy like the sun shone out of his backside. 

His very fine backside. Harry shook away the thought. This wasn't the time, not with Teddy still shaking, Malfoy glaring everyone into submission, and Hermione arriving with a sound like the whipcrack of doom.

~*~

The sound of a slap and the cry of a child silenced the hubbub of conversation in the school playground. Harry stood up, craning his neck, trying to see if someone really had hit a kid.

"You said he was a werewolf." Amelinda Summerby hissed the words, but they seemed loud in the sudden quiet. 

Anger made Harry's voice hard and flat. "And that makes all the difference, I suppose?"

Everyone turned to look at him, backing away and making a path for him to walk over to her. Teddy stayed with him, holding on to his hand. 

"You think it doesn't?" Summerby asked. _And why should your opinion matter?_ was a thick, dark line under her words.

Harry stopped in front of her, tilted his head to consider her, smiling as her eyes widened when the movement caused his fringe to slip off his forehead and reveal his scar. "I'm Teddy's godfather," he said.

She made a strangled noise and turned on Chester again, raising her hand. 

"No!" Teddy pulled his hand out of Harry's and went to stand in front of her. The tips of his hair flared bright red. "You're not allowed to hit kids. My grandma says so." 

Summerby's eyebrow went up again. "Control your godson," she said to Harry.

"Actually, Teddy's correct," Hermione interjected. "Chapter 2, section 39, subsection A of the Children's Act of 1802 states quite clearly that parents shall not physically or magically injure their children. The penalty for doing so is a quite large fine and/or time in Azkaban."

"How dare you..."

"I wouldn't if I were you." Malfoy's voice cut her off as smoothly and sharply as a knife. "She's right, as usual, no matter how annoying it might be. Children are our heritage and deserve our protection. And if you can't raise your child with the proper values, Harry and I will correct that when he enters Hogwarts. Assuming you still have custody, of course."

"Your father..."

"Is quite happy that I'm restoring the family name that he very nearly destroyed."

Summerby huffed, Malfoy smirked, and Harry couldn't help grinning. 

"Is there anything else?" Hermione asked. 

"What about Entwhistle?" Harry glanced over at the man in question, who was talking to a pair of wizards in long black robes. 

"The Department of Magical Education is already taking care of him." She lowered her voice and said, "Why don't you take Teddy home? I'm sure he's had enough excitement for one day."

Harry nodded. "As long as you don't need me here?"

"I think we can handle it." She nudged him with her elbow. "Go on then. Leave it to the experts for once."

"At least you're experts I can trust to get it right for a change."

Her eyes travelled over to Teddy, who had tucked himself against Malfoy's side and was exchanging not-quite-unfriendly glares with Chester. "You should talk to him," she said.

Harry's heart did a weird flip-thump thing in his chest, and even though he knew who Hermione meant, he couldn't resist saying, "Teddy? Yeah, I will." 

"Idiot," she said fondly.

"Swot." Harry reached out and gave her an awkward one-armed hug. She leaned into him for a moment before pulling away. 

"Go on," she said, giving him a push towards Teddy and Malfoy.

Teddy came running over as soon as he saw Harry, leaping up when he got close enough, trusting Harry to catch him.

"Time for us to go home," Harry said. 

"And Draco too?" Teddy asked.

There was something about the look on Malfoy's face that made Harry offer, "Yeah, Draco too, if he wants." The name felt strangely right, and just as wrong, on his tongue.

For a brief second, Malfoy looked startled, but his expression smoothed out almost immediately. "I really ought to..." He made a gesture towards Entwhistle and Summerby.

"But I want you to come home with us," Teddy said, sounding as disappointed as Harry absolutely didn't feel.

"Perhaps later?" Malfoy suggested. "If Potter wants me to."

"Please, Uncle Harry."

Swallowing down the odd fluttering feeling at the base of his throat, Harry said, a little roughly, "Sure. After dinner maybe?"

"Yes!" Teddy pumped his fist. "Draco's going to read me a bedtime story."

Harry shook his head. "I didn't say..."

"It's fine," Malfoy said. "I'm happy to do it."

Harry stepped into a turn, Teddy held tight in his arms. The last thing he saw was Malfoy's bemused and intent expression. He hadn't a clue what to make of it.

~*~

After Harry got Teddy back to Hogwarts and out of his school uniform, time seemed to crawl slower than it ever had. Even detentions with Snape had gone faster than dinner, he was sure. Teddy didn't seem to notice. He chattered to anyone and everyone who'd listen about how Draco and Uncle Harry had saved him from the bully, and how the bully's mum was mean.

On and on and on and on until Harry couldn't do anything but think about Malfoy. In their sitting room after dinner, while they waited for Malfoy, Teddy played _Draco saves the world_ with some of his toys and gave Harry a running commentary on everything that was happening. Green and black rippled through his pale blond hair as he played.

Not that Harry could have stopped thinking about Malfoy if he'd wanted to. He couldn't get Malfoy out of his head. That last look, the smile, how he'd just moved in to help Teddy without hesitation, and, if Harry were being perfectly honest, Malfoy's arse. 

If he didn't know better, he'd think he was attracted to Malfoy...

"Bugger," Harry breathed.

"That's a bad word, Uncle Harry." Teddy's reproving look was so much like Andie's that Harry couldn't help smiling at him.

"You're right, it is. I'll have to wash my mouth out with soap." Harry widened his eyes and tried to look contrite. "Do know the spell for that?"

"No." Teddy giggled. "But I bet Draco does. He knows everything."

Someone knocked on the door, saving Harry from having to answer. He tucked his wand in his sleeve holster and went to answer it. 

Malfoy stood on the other side, dressed casually in trousers and a soft-looking jumper that hugged his body and showcased his shoulders and arse. "Hullo, Potter." 

"Hi, Malfoy." Harry smiled and moved out of the way, letting Draco inside and closing the door after him. 

"Draco!" Teddy ran towards Malfoy, jumping at him in the same way he did with Harry. 

It was a close call, but Malfoy managed to catch him before he slipped down to the floor. "Hi, Teddy."

"I told everyone about you. How you 'feated the bully and saved me and everything."

"Not by myself," Malfoy said.

"You did." Teddy pushed his way out of Malfoy's arms and then grabbed one of his hands and one of Harry's. They let him pull them into the living room. "You and Uncle Harry and Auntie Hermione saved me and even Chester."

When Malfoy was settled on the floor, Teddy began showing him the toy figurines and animals and telling him about his game all over again. Harry left them to it and went to get wine for them and milk for Teddy. On the way back, his hands full, he paused in the archway between the sitting room and the tiny kitchenette and just looked and listened. 

Malfoy was taking it all so seriously, introducing himself to the toys and petting the animals. Harry's heart did that weird thing again, and he bit his lip. How had he never known that seeing a man with kids was a turn-on? 

"Uncle Harry, we going to do a toast?" Teddy dropped the toys and scrambled to his feet. 

"We can if you want to," Harry said, walking toward them. 

"Yes!" 

"Both hands," Harry said, when Teddy reached for his cup of milk, not handing it to him until he was sure he wouldn't drop it. 

"Me too?" Malfoy was clearly amused as he held out both his hands for his glass of wine.

"Git," Harry said, almost dropping his own glass when he heard the fondness in his voice.

"Takes one to know one," Malfoy retorted. He raised the glass and sniffed deeply. "Impressive," he said. "Granger help you?"

"Hermione wouldn't know a good wine from grape juice." Harry laughed. "Hannah Abbot. She's developing a great cellar at the Leaky."

Malfoy took a sip and looked even more impressed. "I'll have to remember that."

"A toast. We have to toast." Teddy rose up on his tiptoes, lifting his cup up as high as he could. The charm on his mug kept the milk from sloshing over the edge. "To Draco and Uncle Harry and Grandma Andie and Auntie Hermione and stopping all the bullies and the mean people and..."

"To Teddy Lupin," Malfoy interrupted before Harry could, chiming his glass against Teddy's cup. "Our very special metamorphmagus."

Teddy turned to Harry, his eyes bright, and they clinked glass against cup as well. "You too," Teddy said, watching them.

"To you," Harry said, touching his glass to Malfoy's. "And I mean it," he added at Malfoy's clear scepticism. "I couldn't have done what you did today. I'd probably just have made things worse."

Malfoy's eyebrow rose, but he said, gravely, "You're welcome, Potter."

After that it was more playing with Teddy. Harry knew he was using Teddy as a reason to avoid talking to Malfoy. He couldn't stop thinking about him, or watching him, or even appreciating how he gave Teddy his full attention, not even trying to claim that he was too old for kiddy games, the way his hair shone in the light, the length and strength of his fingers as he moved the toys around, and...

"Bugger."

"Bad word again, Uncle Harry."

"A very bad word." Malfoy smirked, clearly amused. 

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "You're right. It's a bad word, and I shouldn't say it in front of little kids."

"I'm not a little kid," Teddy said, puffing out his chest. "I'm a big kid."

"Yes, you are." Harry reached down and swooped Teddy up, turning him upside down, making him giggle. "And now it's bedtime for big kids."

"Nooooo, we haven't captured the grumpyguts yet." 

"Tomorrow."

"Please, Uncle Harry. Just until we get the grumpyguts."

"Teddy," Harry warned him. "You know better than this."

His lower lip trembling in a pout, Teddy said, "But Draco won't be here tomorrow and I can't capture the grumpyguts without him."

"I bet your Uncle Harry can capture him." Malfoy tapped Teddy's lower lip. "And if you don't pull in that slug, I'll pour a potion on it and kill it for you."

Teddy sucked in his lip and looked up at Harry. "You'll play with me in the morning?"

"Of course," Harry said. "And I bet that if you're a good boy, Mal..." He stopped himself, took a deep breath, and looking directly into Malfoy's eyes said, "I bet if you're on your best behaviour, Draco will come back and play with you some day."

"You will?" 

"Of course, I will."

When it became clear that Teddy wasn't going to throw a temper tantrum over being sent to bed, Harry relaxed. Even getting him undressed and into bed went relatively easily. He told the first story and then handed the book over to Malfoy, who read _Babbity Rabbity and the Golden Goblet_ , complete with voices. By the time he was done, though, Teddy was sound asleep. 

They walked back into the sitting room, picked up their glasses of wine, and stared at each other. 

"I should go," Malfoy said, at the same time as Harry suggested, "You could stay for a while."

Then they both laughed, and Harry couldn't help noticing how Malfoy's eyes crinkled at the corners. They were so close, he could smell Malfoy's cologne. 

"Only if you want to, Malfoy." 

"You called me Draco before." Malfoy said, the lines around his eyes smoothing out as he became more serious, as he deliberately added, " _Harry_."

"Draco." Harry took a sip of his wine and licked at a drop that had caught on his lip. 

Malfoy's eyes were drawn to Harry's mouth, his gaze so intent that Harry could feel it. He took a deep breath. "If you don't want me to kiss you, say no." 

"Yes," Harry said. 

Then he reached out and took Malfoy's glass from him, put them both on the closest surface. He cupped Malfoy's cheek, brushed his thumb over the corner of Malfoy's mouth. Then he kissed him. Softly at first, just a press of lips that sent a wave of heat through Harry. He licked at the seam of Malfoy's lips. Malfoy opened to him, slid his arms around Harry's waist, drew him closer, and then he opened up to Malfoy, to a possibility that he hadn't even known existed.

After a long moment, Malfoy pulled back and Harry couldn't help but let out a small noise of complaint. He didn't want to stop; he wanted to keep on kissing, to tilt his world that much further. He brushed his thumb over the corner of Malfoy's mouth, giving in to the urge to touch the smile that he'd caused, to know that it was real. 

"I want this," Harry said, needing to say it, for Malfoy to know it. His voice sounded low and rough with the desire that thrummed through him. "I want _you_."

Malfoy's smile grew, and he turned so his lips brushed over Harry's thumb. "So do I."

"Tonight, though..." Harry paused, trying to come up with a way to explain that didn't sound like he was pushing Malfoy away.

Malfoy sighed, nodding his understanding. "But Teddy's in the other room."

Harry felt his heart clench in his chest because Malfoy kept surprising him. In the best of ways. So when Malfoy stepped back, as if to leave, Harry reached out and caught his wrist. "Stay? Sit with me? Finish your wine?"

"Keeping a respectable two feet of distance between us?" The sceptical curve of Malfoy's brow startled a laugh out of Harry.

"No. I want to kiss you again."

"But Teddy..."

Harry stepped closer, pressing against Draco. "Won't be traumatised by seeing two of his favourite people kissing. Everything else I want to do to you might leave him scarred for life, though."

Malfoy's lips twitched before he tilted his head and murmured against Harry's jaw, "Aunt Andromeda and Mother won't be gone forever."

"And Molly can be persuaded to babysit," Harry added.

"You'll simply have to rein in your impulsiveness."

"Not forever," Harry murmured against Malfoy's lips. "I think I might explode."

Malfoy's answer was to kiss him again, and Harry was very, very good with that.

**Author's Note:**

> You can leave a comment here or [on Livejournal.](http://hd-erised.livejournal.com/17578.html)


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